By virtue of its unique versatility acetylene occupies an exceptional position among flammable gases. It is used therefore, as is well known, for all autogenous purposes such as welding, cutting, soldering, flame hardening, flame cleaning, etcetera. This versatility is based upon the extraordinary concentration of energy which occurs in the acetylene molecule. This concentration of energy provides for a very high combustion temperature and combustion velocity, among other things. However, this property also results in certain disadvantages, specifically a degree of instability for such acetylene, which makes it critical that certain safety measures be taken during its handling and transport. The gas must therefore be stored in special containers, in that they contain a porous mass which completely fills up the interior of the containers, and a solid solvent, including ketones such as acetone or dimethyl formamide, which are absorbed in the mass. The combination of a porous mass in such a solvent enables the container to safely store a greater quantity of acetylene than can be safely stored without such solvent. A considerable disadvantage of such a container is, however, that it is relatively expensive and quite heavy per kilogram of useful products carried therein.
To overcome this disadvantage various experiments have been carried out to replace the acetylene by a suitable gas mixture. As an example, methyl acetylene may be mixed with various materials in proportions which would be suitable for autogenous purposes. Furthermore, ether has been added to propane so as to produce a gas mixture of similar properties. In none of these mixtures has it been possible, however, to obtain the desired properties of pure acetylene. These mixtures have thus proven inadequate to be used for autogenous purposes, and in particular are considerably less suitable for welding.